Bargain shopper shares secret to cutting grocery bill

HOPE, PICK UP SOME CARS. Karen: LET US KNOW USING #LOCAL4TODAY. IF YOU THINK YOUR FOOD BUDGET IS GROWING, IT'S NOT YOUR IMAGINATION. Rhonda: WE HAVE SEEN THE LARGEST INCREASE IN FOOD PRICES SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2011. Karen: CONSUMER EXPERT RUTH SPENCER SHOWS US A LIFESTYLE CHANGE THAT MIGHT TRIM SOME OF THE FAT FROM YOUR GROCERY BILL. Ruth: WHEN YOU'RE HERE IN THE GROCERY STORE, YOU NOTICE PRICES ARE ON THE RISE. I CHECKED WITH A BARGAIN SHOPPER MOM WHO SAYS SHE HAS A PLAN TO HELP YOU SAVE 50% ON YOUR GROCERY BILL! HOW MUCH PLANNING DO YOU DO BEFORE YOU GO TO THE GROCERY STORE? MY WIFE GIVES ME A LIST AND I PICK IT UP. I'D LOVE TO SAVE MONEY, BUT IT'S TIME. WHO HAS TIME? USUALLY I HAVE A LIST AND I GO ABOUT THREE TIMES A WEEK. Ruth: MELISSA SAYS THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. GROCERY PRICES ARE GOING UP. Ruth: SHE RUNS A WEBSITE AND TEACHES CLASSES AND HOW TO SHOP SMARTER. THIS IS A REALISTIC LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Ruth: AT A LOCAL MEIJER, SHE SHOWED HOW TO CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING. INSTEAD OF GOING ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED FOR THAT WEEK, LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA USE THROUGHOUT A MONTH AND THAT WAY, YOU'RE ALWAYS BUYING ON SALE AND NEVER HAVE TO PAY FULL PRICE. Ruth: SHE AVOIDS PAYING FULL PRICE BY DOING TWO THINGS: SHE STOCKPILES ITEMS ON SALE AND PLANS HER FAMILY MENUS AROUND THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ITEMS SHE CAN FIND. GREEN BEANS ARE 99 CENTS THIS WEEK ON SALE VERSUS ASPARAGUS, WHICH IS $2.99 A POUND SO IF YOU PLAN YOUR MEALS AROUND USING GREEN BEANS, YOU'RE GONNA SAVE MONEY. Ruth: AND SHE DOESN'T LEAVE HER HOUSE UNTIL SHE HAS SORTED THROUGH SALES AND COUPONS. ALSO, UNTIL SHE'S CHECKED THE FOOD SHE HAS IN HER FREEZER AND PANTRY. THEN SHE COMES UP WITH MEAL PLANS THAT USE THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ITEMS. AND SHE DECIDES WHAT SALE ITEMS SHE'LL STOCK UP ON FOR FUTURE USE. I WOULD SAY IT TAKES ME UNDER AN HOUR A WEEK TO SAVE OVER 50% ON MY GROCERIES. Ruth: SHE SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY OF APPS THAT SPEED UP THE PLANNING PROCESS AND CAN HELP YOU SAVE ON MILK AND PRODUCE. MEIJER HAS A GREAT APP CALLED M-PERKS AND THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF PRODUCE COUPONS THIS WEEK. ONCE PEOPLE HAVE THE LIGHT BULB MOMENT REALIZE IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT. Ruth: SHE HAS GIVEN US A LIST OF HER FAVORITE BARGAIN-HUNTING APPS AT CLICKONDETROIT.COM. LOOK UNDER THE MONEY TAB FOR THE

If you think your grocery bill is getting bigger and bigger, you're not imagining things! Retail food prices rose 0.4% in March, the same as in February and the largest amount since September 2011. By comparison, the prices of all consumer goods rose 0.2% in March and 0.1% the month before, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Beef, pork, poultry, eggs and milk have had the most dramatic price hikes as drought, a virus outbreak and rising exports have thinned U.S. supplies.

Clearly, your family needs to eat, so what can a stressed shopper do about the higher food prices? A bargain shopper mom who works with Ruth to the Rescue says a change in your thinking can help you cut your grocery bill by 50 percent. She says most shoppers only shop for the moment, or for the week.

We found many shoppers who fit that pattern at Holiday Market in Royal Oak.

"My wife texts me a list and I go to the store and pick it up," said Jim Jagger of Royal Oak.

"Usually I have a list and I come about three times a week," said Pamela Moultrup of Royal Oak. She says she like to buy her groceries as fresh

as possible.

Melissa Buckles runs her own website and teaches classes on how to live better for less. "Definitely grocery prices are going up. You have to be much more strategic," she told Ruth to the Rescue. "This is not extreme couponing. It's a realistic lifestyle change."

Buckles went shopping with Ruth to the Rescue at a the Meijer on Rochester Road. She says the most important part of her savings program is the

decision to plan ahead.

"Instead of just going about what you need for that week, look at what you're going to use throughout a month. And. that way you're always buying on sale and you never have to pay full price," she advised.

Buckles avoids paying full price by doing two things as part of her grocery routine. First, she stockpiles items she finds on sale. Second, she makes

specific family meal plans based around the least expensive items she can find on sale.

"Green beans are 99 cents this week on sale versus asparagus, which is $2.99 a pound. So, if you plan your meals around using green beans, your obviously going to save money," Buckles explained as she looked in the produce section at Meijer.

Buckles doesn't leave home until she's done the following four things.

1) Sort through sales and coupons.

2) Check the supplies at home, in the freezer and pantry.

3) Make a meal plan, with an emphasis on using the least expensive items available.

4) Make a new list of sales items you can stockpile for future use through the next month.

Buckles says the planning doesn't have to take long, "I would say it takes me under an hour a week to save over 50% on my groceries," she said.

Apps Can Help Speed Grocery Planning

Buckles also says there are plenty of apps that help speed up the planning process, and they can help you save on milk and produce. Ruth to the

Rescue has a list of her favorite apps at the end of this article, the app from Meijer has caught her attention.

"Meijer has a great app called Mperks ...Where you can save lots of money. They have a whole bunch of produce coupons this week," she said.

Other Money-Savers From Melissa

Easily Find Weekly Sale Prices and Coupons That Will Save Even More - Use Favado Smart Phone and Coupon Matchups on EverydaySavvy.com to help you find coupons and determine which items are on sale this week at the grocery store. The app will even alert you went your favorites are on sale and you can search across grocery stores for the best price on items you need.

Use Less Meat & Other Higher Priced Ingredients - Consider a few meals in a week without meat. This will save you money. Also when you have meals with meat consider proper portions sizes. It will help your meat go farther. When I buy large boneless skinless chicken breast, I cut it into thirds and each person gets just a one third portion.

Shop at Value Grocery Stores like Aldi - Aldi has great everyday prices on basics like milk, eggs and spices. They also have great produce specials each week.

Limit Brand Loyalty - Name-brand items tend to be more expensive unless you have a great coupon. Be sure to consider house brands and other name brands. These are usually placed on lower or higher shelves. So be sure to look up and down when grocery shopping. The most expensive items are right at eye level.

Check Unit Price - Most people think that if they buy the larger item that they are getting a better deal. This is often not the case. Be sure to always check the unit price when shopping.

Avoid Buying Prepared and Packaged Goods - You are almost always going to pay more when the store does the work for you. Wash and cut your own veggies and you can save.

Make a Plan and Stick to It - Grocery stores use all kind of marketing tricks to try and get you to spend more.

Don't Be Intimidated!

Buckles urges you to avoid getting intimidated by the list of changes that can save you money. She reminds shoppers, they don't have to follow every rule, every week. You can pick and choose which ones work for you. "I think that most people, once they have that lightbulb moment, realize its' not that difficult!"

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